A great many of the various known devices for mounting articles to structure are themselves rather specific in structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 923,596 to Staples discloses a device for mounting an umbrella to a chair or an easel. U.S. Pat. No. 947,282 to Hall discloses a device for mounting an umbrella to a canoe. U.S. Pat. No. 1,232,690 to Keenan discloses a device for mounting a nursing bottle to a chair or crib rail. U.S. Pat. No. 1,735,212 to Pawsat discloses a device for mounting a flashlight to a bicycle handlebar. U.S. Pat. No. 1,858,656 to Batherman discloses a device for mounting a blowtorch to a stepladder. U.S. Pat. No. 2,019,789 to Mahannah discloses a device for mounting a clamp to a bench top. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,540,584 to Jaycox discloses a device for mounting a fishing rod to a boat. Indeed, the rather specific structure of these various known mounting devices is dictated, at least in part, by certain desired objectives for each such mounted article as well as by that structure to which each such article is mounted.
For example, in certain situations, it is desirable to be able to removably mount a liquid container to moveable, conventional floor-treating machinery. In this regard, a number of mounting devices of this sort are presently commercially available. In particular, one such known mounting device includes a cup-shaped receptacle and a conventional so-called "strap" clamp. The opening of the cup-shaped receptacle can be so dimensioned as to enable the liquid container to be snugly retained therein. Such a cup-shaped receptacle may optionally further include a handle, so dimensioned relative to the "strap" clamp, as to enable the mounting of the receptacle handle to certain structure of the floor-treating machinery via the "strap" clamp. These kinds of liquid-container mounting devices pose certain problems, however. For example, another liquid container of different size or shape will necessarily require utilizing a receptacle having an opening of a size or shape that is complementary with the "other" container, for purposes of achieving desired snug-fit between liquid container and receptacle. Such a receptacle, unfortunately, may not always be available.
Another known mounting device utilizes a conventional tightenable belt, so dimensioned as to tightly encircle the liquid container, for purposes of securing the container to conventional floor-treating machinery. For example, certain structure of one such conventional floor-treating machinery may include slotted holes, so dimensioned as to enable the belt to be threaded therethrough. Or a mounting bracket, having slotted holes of this sort, may need to be secured to certain other structure of the floor-treating machinery, to achieve a like result. Use of conventional liquid-container mounting devices of these sorts, however, may tend to give rise to certain problems when it is desirable to replace an "empty" liquid container with a full one. In particular, a liquid container may, for example, contain 2 quarts of a particular fluid, or more, when full; and liquid-container replacement, if done too hurriedly, may give rise to undesired fluid spillage from a "full" liquid container. Also, the particular structure of mounting devices of these sorts tends to render slow and cumbersome the act of replacement of empty liquid containers with full ones.
Therefore, a general object of the present invention is to provide a structural assembly for removably mounting liquid containers of various sizes and shapes to moveable, conventional floor-treating machinery.
Another object is to provide specific mounting-device structure, for movably mounting such liquid containers to conventional floor-treating machinery, in a manner so as to permit replacement of empty liquid containers with full ones in significantly less time with significantly less bother, than is provided by conventional mounting-device structure.
A related object of the present invention is to provide specific mounting-device structure, which greatly reduces the likelihood of fluid spillage when it is desirable to replace an empty liquid container with a full one.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading the following.